Parents can be held financially responsible for a minor child's acts of vandalism under New Hampshire Revised Statutes section 507:8-e. Learn more.

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There is some version of a parental
responsibility law on the books in most states. These are civil statutes
that can be used to hold a parent or guardian financially liable when a minor
child commits certain harmful acts. Depending on the specifics of the state’s
law, parents may even be on the financial hook when their children cause an accident
and someone ends up getting injured.

In this article, we’ll look at New Hampshire’s parental
responsibility law, which is very limited in terms of the type of conduct that will
trigger parental liability.

When Does New Hampshire’s Parental Responsibility Law Apply?

You can find New Hampshire’s parental responsibility law at New
Hampshire Revised Statutes section 507:8-e. Here is the full text of the statute:
“A parent, guardian or other person having legal
custody of a minor who fails or neglects to exercise reasonable supervision and
control of the conduct of such minor shall be liable in a civil action for any
acts of vandalism, as defined [under New Hampshire law], by such minor to the
real or personal property of another.”

That’s the extent of the statute. The first thing to note is that
New Hampshire’s law only holds a parent financially responsible for a minor’s acts
of vandalism, including purposeful destruction of property and graffiti. A lot
of states’ parental responsibility laws hold a parent liable for personal injuries
and property damage stemming from a minor’s intentional or willful actions
(including assault and battery), and some even hold a parent liable for damages
resulting from a car accident (or other mishap) caused by a minor.

There is No Dollar Limit on a Parent’s Liability Under Section 507:8-e

While a lot of states place a ceiling on a parents’ financial
liability for a minor’s actions, there is no such cap in New Hampshire. So,
parents can be ordered to pay the full amount of all losses stemming from a
minor’s acts of vandalism.

New Hampshire Parents May Be Liable Beyond Section 507:8-e

In New Hampshire, even though section 507:8-e is very limited in
scope, parental liability for a child’s actions may still exist under
traditional fault theories like negligence.

It isn’t always easy to prove this kind of case, but a parent may
be liable if they know of their child’s dangerous tendencies yet they fail to
take reasonable steps to properly supervise the child, and someone ends up
getting injured in a way that was foreseeable. (Learn more about Negligence
and the Duty of Care.)